Chennai’s second airport to come up at Parandur? Five things to know

The city of Chennai is likely to get a second airport at Parandur village in Kancheepuram district. This location is deemed to be the most preferable site for the construction of the airport.

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier requested the Central government to approve the construction of a new airport near the city. According to an exclusive report in The Hindu, the state government had come up with two places, namely Parandur and Mamandur, and had requested the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to evaluate the sites. As per the request, officials from AAI had conducted a preliminary study to check the potential of the two locations.

Mamandur was reportedly considered to be less optimal due to the presence of a water body close to the site and the hindrances that might arise due to it during the construction. Eventually, Parandur village was found to be more favourable and AAI is expected to give the final clearance soon, the report said.

Only half of the estimated area needed for construction is owned by the state government in Parandur while the remaining 50% of the land would have to be acquired. This is expected to lead to a delay in the implementation of the project.

Here are five things to know about the project:

• The selected site is located at a distance of 60 km from the Chennai International Airport. Passengers will need about 1.5 hours to reach the new site from the city.
• The existing airport in Chennai has a capacity to handle a traffic of about 150 lakh people, but the previous year it had reached around 220 lakh, creating an imminent need for a new airport, stated The Hindu in another report. The project is expected to reduce overcrowding in the existing Meenambakkam airport and offer more convenience for passengers.
• An area of nearly 4,700 acres has been identified at Parandur and 12 other neighbouring villages for the construction of this airport. Based on preliminary examination, no major hindrances were said to be recognised with regards to building the facility.
• Additionally, the AAI is planning to conduct a techno-feasibility study in the given location to further analyse the specifics of the viability of the project. Once the site is confirmed, numerous other approvals have to be secured for the project to take off.
• The project will reportedly be implemented on a Public-private partnership (PPP) Model; that is, the management, funding, planning, and maintenance will be carried out by a public partner (such as the government) and a private partner (such as a public corporation or a privately owned business).